


Apparently Love is a Journey

by Ultranimallover33



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action/Adventure, CUE SHENANIGANS, Classroom Shenanigans, DJWifi, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, I was going to add Queen Bee but then I didn't whoops, I’m still new with this so bear with me, Kissing, Mutual Pining, Now kiss, Pining, Romance, it might develop a plot later idk, it was going to be a slow burn but I just wanT THESE DORKS TOGETHER ALREADY
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-16 05:40:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14805416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultranimallover33/pseuds/Ultranimallover33
Summary: Time for some love square shenanigans!...But probably not the love square everyone expects.To put in simpler words, Alya Césaire and Nino Lahiffe, also known as Paris’ fairly new superheroes Rena Rouge and Carapace, try to find ways to deal with not only Hawkmoth and his ridiculously evil antics, but also their increasingly annoying teenage hormones.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the love square between Alya and Nino is a tad bit different than what the original love square shows. Rather than have it be "Person A is in love with the civilian while person B is in love with the superhero", it's "Civilian A and B like each other, though they aren't in a relationship, and their superhero forms are in a love/hate relationship." That is all you need to know.

"You're going to ask her today, right?"

"What? When did I say that?"

Adrien gave his best friend a puzzled look. "This...morning."

Nino groaned and planted his forehead on his desk, his hat falling to the side in the process. "I was on something this morning, dude..."

"Well, right now I'm agreeing more with your morning self than your current self," Adrien said. "You've been after her for months! It's about time you tell her how you feel! It shouldn't be that hard."

"That's easy for you to say, mister 'famous fashion designer Gabriel Agreste's son who is also a popular model in his spare time'!" Nino retorted sharply, turning his head so his cheek rested on his desk instead. "Girls are all over you!"

"Not Alya."

Nino sat up abruptly and, as subtly as he could, glanced at the girl mentioned. Alya was too focused giggling and chatting with Marinette to pay any attention to what the boys were saying, much to his relief.

Oh, her laugh. It was intoxicating.

Shaking his head to clear his brain, Nino quickly turned back to Adrien, getting as close to the model's face as he could, before whispering, "I can't ask her out today...I'm not ready!"

Adrien sighed and shook his head. "Dude, I am going to literally shove you into her if you don't make a move soon."

Their teacher clapped her hands a few times to gather the class's attention back to her. "Now, now, class, I know school will be out in a few minutes but I need your attention." She proceeded to explain the homework they had for that weekend. The bell rang a few moments after and the class swiftly got to their feet, eager to get home and experience what the wonderful weekend would bring.

Nino breathed in deeply once he was outside, enjoying the sensation of the sunlight warmly tickling his skin. He was knocked out of his stupor, however, when Adrien poked him in the side. When Nino turned to his friend with an unamused glare, the blonde tipped his head and pointed to the side with his eyes. Nino followed his gaze.

He would've groaned at Adrien's persistence, but just the sight of Alya, who was still talking to her best friend not too far off, caused his heart to get awkwardly caught in his throat.

"Nino, if you don't talk to her today, she's going to get taken soon," Adrien said, poking the DJ in the side again. "You talk to her all the time. I don't see the problem."

Nino looked at Alya again, the heart in his throat beginning to swell uncomfortably. He felt his breathing quicken as he stared at her and her gorgeous ombre hair. "No...no no no no, I can't...I can't do it." He covered his red face with his sweaty palms in an attempt to calm his rapidly growing heartbeat. "I can't do it, Adrien..."

Adrien quirked his brow sympathetically as he placed his hand comfortingly on Nino's back. "Well..." A honk interrupted whatever he was about to say next. He sighed. "My ride's here. I'm not making you do anything, but...just try not to procrastinate too much, okay? See you later." With that, Adrien waved and walked down the stairs, stepping into his limo. He turned to Nino and smiled brightly, giving his best friend a thumbs up before the car drove away.

"Right..." Nino mumbled miserably. "I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

* * *

"You're going to ask him today, aren't you?"

"What? When did I say that?"

"Every day since last WEEK." Marinette glanced to the side as Adrien walked down the school steps and into his limo. She turned back to Alya with an excited grin. "Look, Nino's alone now. Now's the perfect time to talk to him!"

"Listen, I'll talk to Nino once _you_ talk to Adrien," Alya replied, smiling at her friend's eagerness. "Aren't I supposed to help _you_ with _your_ love life?"

"It's too late, Adrien's gone now." Marinette leaned forward and grabbed her best friend's face. "But _Nino_ isn't. Yet. Friends are supposed to help each other, and that's exactly what I'm doing!"

"Marinette, WAIT-" Alya yelped when the bluenette threw her in the direction of the boy that had been occupying her mind for quite some time. She stumbled and instantly felt gentle hands grabbing her arm and side, helping her up.

"Y-you okay, Alya?"

She looked up and was immediately lost in the warmth of his golden eyes. "Y-yeah. I'm good." She shook her head and straightened herself, noticing Nino's hands still on her arm and waist. He must've noticed, too, for his eyes widened and he quickly drew his hands back, using one of them to scratch the back of his neck nervously.  His hands felt...damp. Weird.

"S-say Alya...I..." he said, eyes darting back and forth, looking at anything but her face. He visibly swallowed and continued, "Are you...doing anything this weekend?"

She felt her breath hitch and her eyes grew wide. _Don't get your hopes up, Alya_ , she told herself. The journalist smiled as best as she could, trying to contain the excited shivers she felt wanting to overtake her body. "I-uh-no, I don't think so. I was...was planning on working on the Ladyblog a bit, but..." She shrugged. "Other than that..." Why was talking to Nino suddenly so difficult? It was never this hard!

He grinned that dopey grin she had fallen in love with. "Aw, cool! I was...uh...wondering...if you wanted to...y'know..." He did a few gestures with his large hands. "Do anything?"

Alya felt her jaw drop slightly. "Me?"

"Y-yeah!" The boy stood as stiff as an army soldier as he sheepishly smiled down at her. "I got a new music system and...I don't know, I thought you'd think it would be cool to look at, or something."

It was very hard not to burst into tears of pure joy.

"I would love that!" She grinned, noticing him to the same.

"Cool! Guess I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

A sudden explosion sounded nearby, evil laughter filling the area as people started screaming in fear.

"Akuma," Alya and Nino said in unison. They looked back at each other and nodded before taking off in different directions.

* * *

* * *

"NO ONE CAN CONTROL ME ANYMORE!"

Carapace dodged another blast by the akuma's wand as she laughed maniacally. Yet another akumatized preschooler, given the name Babyfier, annoyed by how adults always bothered her and told her what to do. Her power was to turn anyone that was hit with the glowing shot coming from her weapon into a toddler or baby. Her motive was that if everyone was younger than her, she wouldn't need to be bossed around anymore.

Hawkmoth really needed to stop akumatizing children.

Rena Rouge landed beside the turtle-themed superhero and took a defensive stance, huffing. "Haven't we already dealt with an akuma who hates adults?"

Carapace's face contorted with guilt. She was most definitely referring to _his_ akumatized form.

"Neither of us dealt with that akuma, though," he said instead, jumping to the side to avoid another blast. "That was long before either of us became heroes."

"We may not have been heroes at the time, but we still had to deal with him." She glanced away from the akuma for a moment to give him an appointed look. "Well. _I_ did, anyway."

The other hero fought back a shudder. "No, no, I did, too."

"Down with adults! They stink!" Babyfier shouted.

Yup. Babyfier and The Bubbler would get along excellently.

Carapace was too focused with his thoughts that he didn't notice Babyfier aim another beam directly at him.

"Wh-SHELLY, LOOK OUT-"

Rena's cry was cut short when a sudden wave of awful energy flowed through the green-clad hero, causing him to fall to his knees in pain.

* * *

* * *

"Oh. My. Gosh." Rena Rouge walked up to Carapace as he stood up groggily, placing a small hand on his forehead as he groaned. She couldn't stop a smile from appearing on her face as she wheezed, "Shelly!"

He looked up at her. "What-WHOA when did you grow so tall-WHAT HAPPENED TO MY VOICE?!" he squeaked as he placed his hands on his chubby face in disbelief and horror. His voice must've raised a few octaves, giving him the cutest tone the orange superhero had ever heard.

Rena tried holding back her snicker. She really did.

It was nice to know that even though he was three feet tall, he was still his normal self.

"DON'T LAUGH AT ME. THAT'S NOT NICE!"

Well, almost.

"Okay, okay, I'll s- heh -I'll stop," she breathed, holding up her hands defensively. He pouted at grumbled, and at this moment she didn't want to do anything but lean down and pinch his perfectly squishy cheeks. A sudden bout of laughter to the side prevented her from doing so, however. The heroes turned to see Chat Noir guffawing, wiping tears away from his face with his clawed hands.

"C-Carapace?" he giggled. "Is-is that you?" Rena couldn't take Chat's smiling face anymore and she exploded into laughter along with him. Carapace shouted and stomped his foot angrily.

"You GUYS, we might want to do something about the akuma before you look like me, too!" the toddler yelled.

"Alright, but use your inside voice," Rena teased. Chat took a few moments to catch his breath before he nodded, and the two heroes leaped after the akuma, who had wandered a ways away after she used her powers on Carapace.

"Wh-WAIT FOR ME," Carapace squealed, running after them. He tried jumping but to no avail. He cursed his legs and kept racing as fast as he could, Rena turning her head to watch with amusement.

Ladybug swooped by all of a sudden, picking him up as she easily swung herself through Paris after the other two superheroes. She landed beside them and kept their running pace with ease, a smug and determined look present in her eyes.

"Let me go, I'm not a child!"

"Your legs are too short to keep up, turtle boy," Ladybug responded. Rena and Chat giggled.

After they ran for a little bit, they finally caught up with Babyfier. The akuma laughed as more and more innocent people fell under her wrathful weapon. The street was filled with toddlers, screaming as they looked at themselves and others around them. Considering the way Carapace had been acting, they were still their normal selves, just...way smaller. And a bit more immature.

"Hey!" Babyfier shouted once she spotted the group of heroes. A purple butterfly-shaped mask appeared on her face and she grinned evilly and nodded before it disappeared. She pointed her wand at them and hollered, "Give me your miraculouseseses, poo-heads!"

Chat stifled a laugh and Rena sarcastically whispered, "Yeah, I'm _sure_ Hawkmoth told her to say that," with a grin on her face.

"Look out!" Ladybug shrieked. All the other heroes grunted when they fell to the floor in order to prevent another blast by the akuma from hitting them. "We need a plan," the spotted heroine continued. "If we all end up looking like Carapace, it won't be hard for Babyfier to get what Hawkmoth wants."

"I is still good at fighting!" the mentioned hero grumbled.

Rena glanced at him, still being held captive by Ladybug, and smiled coyly. "You can't even form a single sentence correctly, shelly."

"Surround her," Ladybug suddenly commanded. The other teenagers didn't hesitate to obey, all nodding and going in different directions to distract Babyfier. The villain looked at them angrily, though she was noticeably getting nervous as the heroes got closer. The butterfly mask appeared once again, it no doubt being Hawkmoth soothing her, and her confidence was back. Without warning, she cast her evil spell at Ladybug and the red hero let out a cry of surprise. She held up Carapace to defend herself and the green toddler giggled when the attack hit him.

"That tickled!" he laughed.

Ladybug grinned. "The spell won't work on him!" she called to the others. "He's already been attacked!"

Babyfier growled and turned towards Chat Noir before pointing her wand at him.

"Toss me that baby!" Chat shouted, to which Ladybug complied.  Carapace squealed happily when he was in the air, and Chat caught him and held him up defensively as Ladybug had done herself moments ago. The turtle-themed hero chuckled again as the akuma's power hit him.

The three heroes proceeded to toss the toddler around, running across buildings as Babyfier followed them furiously. Ladybug had formed a plan moments before, calling her lucky charm, which was a compass that led her to the Eiffel Tower. Everyone was actually having a bit of fun with the game they created as they went, laughing as they sometimes chanted "toss the toddler". Carapace surprisingly never got tired of being thrown about.

As they neared Paris' famous building, Rena felt adrenaline of the upcoming battle flowing through her. She had a feeling this was going to be fun.

* * *

* * *

Finally, _finally_ , Ladybug threw her lucky charm up in the air, shouting, "Miraculous Ladybug!", soon turning everything back to normal.

"Oh, that was _horrible_ ," Carapace breathed, patting himself all over to make sure he was really his normal size again.

"I dunno, I thought it was hilarious," Rena said beside him, shrugging. "Didn't you have fun? Your giggling certainly seemed to say that." The green hero simply glared at her.

"Good job, I guess," he said to her and to Ladybug and Chat Noir, who had recently walked up to the other duo. "Just try not to throw me, or anyone for that matter, like a rag doll anymore, okay?" He stretched and popped his back, grunting. "I'm gonna head now. I've got tons of homework and...other things planned." He saluted before leaping away.

"Yeah I got plans, too," Rena said once he was gone. She waved at Ladybug and Chat Noir and then jumped away. Instead of heading to her own home, however, Rena wanted to visit a certain boy that had been occupying her mind for quite some time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was this one piece of art by Tides-miraculous on tumblr that headcanoned toddler Nino having the voice of Catbug and I literally love no other headcanon more.


	2. Chapter 2

No, Rena Rouge wasn't going to Nino's house because she liked him. Not at all. She had her reasons, and that was definitely not one of them. Nope.

That's what she kept telling herself, anyway.

It's a good thing she knew where he lived, and no, that wasn't just because she had a crush on this boy. She had been to his house before along with Adrien and Marinette for a study group.

After jumping from building to building for a bit, she finally reached her destination. Nino's room was a few stories from the ground. She securely attached herself just below his window and peeked in before patting on the piece of glass firmly. Nino, who was sitting at his computer and had his headphones over his ears, jumped and turned towards his window, his eyes growing wide once he realized who was there.

"Rena Rouge?" he said disbelievingly after he walked over and opened the window. "What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?" she asked sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes.

Nino blinked in surprise. "Uh...I guess?" He stepped to the side, inviting the super heroine to step inside, to which she happily complied.

"So, you obviously know my name already," she said once the boy closed his window. "What's yours, pretty boy?"

He stuttered at the nickname and looked down sheepishly. "I'm Nino."

"Nino! I like it," she smiled.

"Can you tell me what you're doing here, now?" he asked, looking up at her curiously.

"Weellllll..." Rena walked over and sat on his bed, which creaked at the contact. "I have this little thing I do where I check on civilians after an akuma attack to make sure they're alright."

Nino tilted his head, puzzled. "You do?"

"Yup!" She laughed internally, because she really didn't. The orange hero stood up and sauntered over to him. He noticeably gulped when she got close. "So tell me...are you doing fine?"

Rena hadn't meant for her voice to sound so voluptuous.

The boy nodded multiple times. "Yeah, I'm doing great, if it didn't look like that then whoops, I guess, hahah!"

The superhero pulled back a bit. She didn't want Nino to be intimidated by her, and judging by the way he was acting, that was probably what she was doing.

"Well, that's great!" Rena walked a few steps away and admired his room, which was very aesthetically pleasing to look at, she noted. The blues and purples blended beautifully, giving the area a nice, dark glow. "What were you doing on your computer over there?" she inquired, turning her head to look at him.

"Oh!" Nino smiled bashfully. "I was...heh...making music."

She grinned and fully faced him. "You make music?" Of course she already knew that. But Nino didn't know she knew and she had to keep it that way.

"Yeah!" Rena loved the way his golden eyes brightened when he talked about his passions. A genuine smile found its way to her face as she listened to him adorably go on about how he loved to do what he did.

At the worst possible time, her necklace beeped. The fox-themed hero cursed internally when both pairs of eyes found their way to her miraculous, which warned that Rena would detransform soon.

"Welp. Guess that's my cue to leave," she sighed, walking back over to his window. "I enjoyed our little chat, though!"

Nino smiled. "Yeah. I did, too."

Rena winked and stepped out of his room. "See ya later, DJ." She waved and leaped onto the next building, noticing him run to his window to wave goodbye to her as well.

* * *

* * *

Nino went back to his computer and sat down just as Wayzz appeared from behind the device to rest on the DJ's cap. The boy smiled to himself as he contemplated the encounter he had just had with a specific orange superhero. Its was strange, really. She acted so different when talking to his civilian form rather than his superhero form. With Carapace, Rena was snarky and always teasing, sometimes in ways that made his blood boil. But with just Nino? She was sweet and willing to listen. It put things into an interesting and new perspective.

He glanced at the clock. 6:00. A shudder snuck its way into his bones, though he tried to fight it as best as he could.

_Alya will be here in less than 24 hours._

Wayzz patted his head. "Now, now, master, there's no need to fret," the kwami soothed. "Alya's been here before, has she not?"

"Yeah, she has..."Nino replied nervously. He forgot his kwami was pretty much an expert at reading his feelings. "But that was for a study group! Adrien and Marinette were there, too. It's...not the same."

"Perhaps you should do something to get your mind off of it, then," Wayzz advised. "Making music, maybe?"

The teenager sighed. "That's what I'm trying to do."

"It doesn't quite look like you're trying."

Nino glanced at his computer screen, which showed him his desktop, open and bare as a dead branch. "You're right, you're right." He pulled up his music program and placed his headphones over his ears before getting to work. Soon, a beat was coming alive against his ears.

He smiled and bit his lower lip, allowing his hands to maneuver efficiently against his keyboard as he bobbed his head to the beat he was creating.

Before Nino knew it, a scene started to form in his brain, one that felt so real that he wasn't entirely convinced it was fake. It certainly didn't feel that way, what with how perfectly Alya's hand seemed to fit in his, how her eyes twinkled like the sun as she looked at him, how her laugh sounded like the angels above were singing a heavenly melody.

He was certain he could stare at her for the rest of his life.

Everything was tinged with a beautiful pink, tinting her dark skin in the most beautiful way possible. He previously didn't think he could fall for her any more, but he just proved himself wrong.

Oh. Well, it turned out her lips fit perfectly against his, as well. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to succumb to this wonderful daydream, leaning forward so he could kiss Alya more passionately. 

Nino felt as high as a cloud, none of the imaginary surroundings mattering save for the gorgeous human being he was embracing. The only reason he pulled away from the blissful moment was to admire her lovely face, which was smiling at him sweetly.

He leaned forward again, but his lips met nothing but air. He opened his eyes again, only to be met with the almost ominous glowing of his computer screen, it towering over him as though it was taunting him. He grunted in surprise and quickly fell back, falling to the floor in the process.

"Are you alright?" Wayzz asked as Nino got up and slumped back into his chair.

"I was making music with Alya in mind again..." he mumbled.

The green creature floated up to his holder's headphones and lifted them so he could listen to the music. He smiled back up at Nino. "Well, it sounds wonderful, master!"

The DJ sorrowfully smiled at his kwami before chuckling sadly. "I told you not to call me that, dude."

"My apologies, Nino." Wayzz hovered in front of his master's face and gave Nino's nose a pat. "Music is your passion, and you obviously care for Alya very much. It shouldn't be a bad thing that you created something amazing because of that."

Nino smiled again, this time genuinely. "Thanks, Wayzz. You always know what to say." He looked at the time again and gasped. "8:00 already?!" He stood up and grabbed his face, mumbling nervously to himself. He started pacing around his room as his kwami watched with worry.

Wayzz zipped in front of Nino's face again and stopped the teenager's pacing. "Nino, please! You're going to have fun tomorrow. That's a guarantee. Just take a few breathes to calm down." Nino obeyed, though he still felt violently exposed and unprepared. "You're showing Alya what you love to do! I have a feeling she'll think it's...how do you say...rad."

Nino's face visibly paled. "Oh no. I'm showing her my lame music system! Why did I tell her that? She'll be bored out of her mind!"

"Your music system isn't lame, master. If it was, you wouldn't be using it." Wayzz hovered up to Nino's panting face and rubbed his paw soothingly against the boy's flushed cheeks. "And if Alya thought it would be lame, she wouldn't agree to come over. Besides," the small creature added, his smile almost mischievous. "If she doesn't like your passions, she doesn't have a reason to be occupying your mind.

"But she _does_ appreciate what you do, that's the great thing!" Wayzz said, zipping to the side and raising his small arms triumphantly. "You _both_ are going to have an enjoyable time tomorrow."

Wayzz proceeded to aid Nino with his breathing in order to calm him down. After a good ten minutes and more of the kwami's encouraging words, Nino seemed to be much better.

"Alright," Nino breathed, leaning his head back. "I think I'm good now."

"Excellent! Now, it's getting late, so I suggest getting ready for bed soon so you can efficiently-"

"Wait, what time is it?" Nino looked at his clock again. "IT'S 9:00, ARE YOU SERIOUS-"

Wayzz groaned and glared at his holder with a deadpanned expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tbh I feel like Rena/Nino is the equivalent to marichat


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all SO MUCH for the kind comments. They make my day and they make this story worth writing. I appreciate each and every one of you <3

Alya anxiously took another bite of her marmalade toast, the usually sweet flavor currently tasteless against her tongue.

"Oh, Alya, you don't have to be so nervous," her mother sweetly commented from the other side of the kitchen. "It's only a boy."

The teenager laughed humorlessly. "Yeah, that's what I keep telling myself, too."

Marlena stopped chopping onions for a moment to look at her daughter. Then, she smiled before continuing, "You're going to have fun tonight!" She turned back to the onions. "Also, if he kisses you, kiss him back."

"MOM," Alya sputtered, face growing red.

Marlena snickered. "In all seriousness, sweetie, he only asked you to hang out. He's not begging for your hand in marriage, or anything."

Alya's heart fluttered at the thought and she smiled, cheeks turning a lovely shade of red. "Hah. If he asked to marry me, I'm not sure I'd be able to say no."

"That's my girl!" Her mother grinned before turning to the clock. "You probably should leave soon. Don't want to make a bad impression, do we?"

The journalist smiled and shook her head. "No, mom." She quickly finished her toast and walked towards the door. Her sisters clung to her feet before she had the chance to walk very far.

"Don't leave!" Etta whined.

Ella complained, "Boys are stinky!"

Alya laughed as she dragged the wailing children across the floor. They only got louder the closer to the door she got. "Don't worry, we won't do anything sappy," she told her sisters, leaning down to pat both their heads.

The twins opened their mouths to complain more, but their mother interrupted, "Girls, would you like to help me make cookies?" Alya's hangout instantly forgotten, they squealed happily and dashed to the kitchen.

Alya giggled before opening the door. "Bye, mom!" she called out, and her mother replied, "Have fun!"

Alya walked down her apartment complex and stepped outside the front door, instantly welcoming the sunlight's friendly warmth against her skin. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, interrupting the moment, and she pulled it out to see Marinette calling her. She smiled and took the call. "Hey, girl, what's up?"

" _Sooooo...I've heard you've got something special planned today!_ " Marinette's electronic voice giggled.

The reporter rolled her eyes. "So what? I'm going to Nino's house. Big deal."

" _It's a big deal and you know it! You know how_ I _would be acting if Adrien invited me to_ his _house?_ "

Alya chucked and rolled her eyes, saying, "You wouldn't be able to shut up about it."

" _Yup_."

A comfortable silence followed.

" _You only have me to thank_."

"I'll only thank you if this works out."

* * *

* * *

"Okay. So. Alya's going to be here soon."

Wayzz nodded. "Correct."

"And she really is a great friend. We've hung out together at school before. So this shouldn't be any different."

"Mm-hmm."

"Then WHY AM I STILL SCARED?!" Nino grabbed his face and dramatically sunk to the floor.

"Because you like her, mas-uh, Nino," Wayzz said, flying in front of his holder's face. "But you shouldn't be so worried, as you two are only hanging out. You're not asking her to marry you or anything of that sort."

Nino smiled sheepishly and looked to the floor, his cheeks beginning to burn pleasantly. "Yeah...imagine that, though..."

"When she gets here, just smile and invite her in. Maybe give her a hug, if you're comfortable enough," his kwami advised.

"You know what? I feel like I've been fretting over this for so long that I'm actually gonna be _relieved_ when she gets here."

Wayzz smiled, "I should hope so."

There was a knock on the door and Nino whimpered. He took a deep breathe and stood up. "Okay...okay, I'm going to be...okay..." He walked over and peeked through the peephole, instantly beaming when he saw her beautiful, smiling face. If he was correct, Alya looked a bit nervous, as well. Taking a deep breathe, he finally opened the door.

* * *

* * *

Certain to say, Alya was more than surprised when the first thing that greeted her when the door opened was a massive bear hug after an excited, "Alya!". Nino pulled away, his hands still wrapped around her waist. "I'm so glad you're here." His soft eyes, the color of melted honey, made her legs feel wobbly. She weakly smiled back, though Alya was certain she felt a lot more happy and relieved than she looked. The journalist hugged him back, breathing in the scent of his shirt. He smelled wonderful. After a moment, they comfortably pulled apart and Nino stepped to the side, inviting Alya into his home.

She smirked as she stepped past him. What a gentleman. He was almost too cheesy to bear.

"Whoa," Alya breathed as Nino closed the door behind her. "I always forget how pretty your house is."

Nino laughed. "You've only been here once!"

She turned and, as sassy as she could, jutted her hip just so, noticing Nino's eyes wander there. "So?"

He smirked and looked away. "Alright, fine. Thank you for the compliment."

"You're welcome." They stood in silence for a moment, each teenager growing more confused by the second. "Well? Are you going to show me your room?"

The boy's eyes grew wide as he exclaimed, "Oh! Right!" He proceeded to step towards Alya and hold out his arm, offering an escort.

She rolled her eyes but happily wrapped her arm through his. "Nino, if you don't stop being so sweet, I'm gonna get sick."

"Not in my house, you don't."

Alya felt so much better now than she did this morning, that was for sure. Everything felt like it was supposed to, how she and Nino continued to politely banter as he led her to his room. It was so refreshing to finally talk to him without stuttering over every other word, the complacent atmosphere radiating off of him and of his home putting her at ease. This was how it should always be.

"And, VOILA! Here you have it, folks!" Nino let go of Alya's arm to step in front of her and hold out his arms, nearly perfectly imitating a model showing off the contestant's prize. "My room."

Alya took a moment to admire it. Even though she had been in here the night before, the room was still just as pretty. It was a bit strange being in here as Alya rather than Rena Rouge, she noted, but she didn't let that ruin her mood.

"And that's your computer?" the girl said as she pointed to said machine.

Nino looked at it and smiled. "Yeah." He walked over and sat in the chair, inviting her to join him by gesturing to another chair off to the side. Alya grabbed it and sat next to him as he logged into his computer. They sat and chatted for a while before the DJ offered Alya his headphones so she could listen to his creations.

 A good few minutes passed and she took the headphones off with a huge grin on her face. "Wow, Nino, that's amazing!"

His cheeks darkened at her compliment, his adorable smile shy and goofy. His cheerful expression vanished after a moment, however, and his eyes turned dark. Alya's own eyes grew wide at his sudden change in behavior. "Are...you alright?" she asked gently as she slowly slid the headphones off her neck.

He looked down and sighed mournfully. "I'm glad you enjoy it, Alya. It's just...my parents." She leaned a little closer and nodded, encouraging him to continue. "They aren't exactly supportive of my music making. My mom always complains, 'making noises on a computer isn't a career!' but she doesn't KNOW! Music makers are some of the most successful people on the planet! But my parents want me to go to school and be...like...a psychologist, or something. Don't get me wrong, people are cool, but I have NO interest in discovering why the brain works the way it does.

"I've already found my interest!" he continued to exclaim sourly, face slightly red due to his anger. "I _love_ making music! But I often have to sneak out of the house to DJ at a club because there is _no way_ my parents would just let me meander away to go to a 'filthy dance party'." He used his fingers to do air quotes at his last few words. "It's bogus!" Nino let out a frustrated growl before covering his flushed face with his hands.

Alya was nearly rendered speechless, to say the least. She had no idea that this boy was going through so much, and the way he gently let out a sob tore her heart to pieces. "Hey..." she soothed, finding the courage to softly rub his back. He stopped shaking, which she took as a good sign. "I'm sorry you have to go through that...that just sucks. I may not be able to...exactly _relate_ with what's happening to you...but I _am_ here to support you." He tipped his head and peeked at her through his fingers, his eyes tinted red. "And it's not just me! Adrien supports you, Marinette supports you...heck, I think everyone in our class is here for you, even Chloe!" He snickered sadly, but Alya congratulated herself for making the DJ smile, nonetheless.

Nino lifted his face from his hands and took a deep breath. "Thanks, Alya." He fondly looked at her and then at her hand that still rested on his desk. He placed his own hand next to hers and linked their pinkies. "Really. It means a lot."

Alya glanced at their intertwined fingers and felt her face begin to burn, but she refused to let her guard down. "O-of course! I'm always here for you!"

She cursed inwardly at her stutter. She had been doing so well.

"Alya?"

"Yeah?"

She looked up and nearly jumped, having not realized that he had gotten so close.

"I was wondering..." Nino's eyes noticeably wandered to their hands, as well. "Do-" He gulped, "-Do you want to go on a date sometime?"

Alya couldn't take it anymore. His face was _so close_.

She didn't even realize that she had kissed him until she felt a muffled squeak against her lips. His mouth felt almost too perfect against hers, however, and even though it was as much of a shock to her as it was to him, she refused to pull away, instead tilting her head to the side to deepen the embrace. Alya felt him tilt his head, too, making this moment the most wonderful thing she had ever experienced in her life. She reluctantly pulled away after what felt like both forever and nothing at the same time. She couldn't help but giggle at Nino's flushed and pleased face, his glazed eyes and silly smile causing her to fall in love with this boy even more than before, if that was even possible.

Oh, how she had missed that goofy grin. She nearly pulled him back to her lips again, but his dopey laugh interrupted, "So...I take it as a yes?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't exactly on the sappy side, but...MAN it was so fun to write. I never said that this would all be about romance ;)

Nino certainly hadn't expected the school's topic of the day to be about mythical monsters, much less _ghosts_. However, as abrupt and random as the topic was, he wasn't complaining at all. He actually loved it when the class decided to talk about things more on the foreign side of school, like love and food instead of politics and math.

Unfortunately, as interesting as the subject was, his mind was too focused on other things, such as the weekend previous and how _he had actually kissed Alya_. The boy also thought about how beautiful she looked this morning, and though it wasn't like that was anything new, something different came off of the way they smiled at each other and talked before the lesson began. Nino was knocked out of his stupor when the teacher neared the end of her lecture and asked if there were any comments or questions.

Kim of course took the opportunity to smugly announce, "Pah! I'm not afraid of ghosts! All the people in these stories are ridiculous."

"Ghosts don't exist, dummy," Alix snarkily said back, her eyes unamused. "Neither do the people in these stories."

"But that's just what they _want_ you to think, Kubdel!" Kim leaned forward excitedly. "Ghosts _do_ exist and I can prove it!"

The pink-haired tomboy lifted a brow questioningly and said, "Prove it, then."

Kim waved his hand dismissively. "Pffft, not _now_. I meant later."

"Wasn't Sabrina technically a ghost when she was akumatized?" Max suddenly asked curiously. Sabrina and Chloe turned toward him, their eyes sharp. "I'm not taking sides or anything because this debate is ridiculous, but-"

"Yeah, Sabrina technically _was_ a ghost," Alix said. "But you guys turned into diabolical super villains, so you weren't any better. Mylene was a ten foot tall purple raging _monster_ , but that still doesn't mean that actual monsters- or ghosts- exist."

"I'll prove you wrong, tinkerbell, just you wait!" The moment Kim's sentence was finished, the bell rang at comedic timing. Kim quickly grabbed his stuff and dashed for the door, blocking it so no one else in the classroom could get out quite yet. "Every boy in this classroom is coming with me! Adrien, Nino, Ivan, Nathaniel, and Max." He pointed at each boy respectively, and Nino felt a sense of dread when Kim's finger landed on him. "We're going to my house and prepping for a _ghost hunt_."

Adrien and Nino shared a concerned look but, both knowing they couldn't change the stubborn Kim's mind, they grabbed their bags and followed the athlete, along with the other boys, out the door nonetheless. "Be careful out there!" Mm. Bustier called after them.

"You're all ridiculous," Chloe muttered as she and Sabrina trailed out of the classroom once the boys had disappeared.

The rest of the girls were gathering around Marinette's desk, already knowing a plan was forming in the bluenette's mind simply by the playful smirk on her face.

"We're crashing their party, right?" Alya pompously asked her best friend.

"Duh."

* * *

* * *

 The girls were gathered in the Forest of Fontainebleau, setting up the things they had created when they were at Marinette's house a few hours previous. It took them a good while to travel to the forest but they knew that this would be so worth it. Alya had been texting Nino and he was the one who informed them where the boys would be headed for their little 'ghost hunt'. When she told told the girls this, Marinette had exclaimed, "You've been texting _Nino_?! When did this happen? More importantly, you're not telling him our plans, are you?"

Alya laughed in response. "Relax, girl, I didn't tell him anything except that we're planning something. I refuse to tell him any more than that. He was just nice enough to tell us where the boys will be going soon, so I personally think we should thank him later."

"After we scare him and the others out of their socks, of course!" Rose had said excitedly.

Now they were here, setting up their glow-in-the-dark ghost props in the trees as the sun starting setting, sending almost ominous purples and pinks throughout the sky. This was almost too perfect.

It was then that Alya had a brilliant epiphany.

"Hey, Marinette?" When Marinette turned to Alya curiously, she continued, "I need to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

Marinette's face contorted in disgust. "The _bathroom_? We're in the middle of the _forest_ , Alya! There's no place to go to the bathroom."

"That's quitter talk." Alya giggled at her best friend's repulsed expression. "Don't worry, girl! I'm not afraid to go to the bathroom in the middle of the forest. People have done it before; it's no big deal." With that, she shrugged and ran away, smiling to herself. Of course she wasn't going to the bathroom.

* * *

* * *

 "YOU BETRAYER!"

Nino squawked when Kim tackled him head on, falling to the floor in a heap of wheezed breath and tangled clothes. "What did I do?!" Nino squeaked, barely able to get the words out due to loss of air.

Kim placed his hand firmly on Nino's chest to keep him pinned there, getting up slightly to glare at the DJ. "You've been texting the girls!"

"I've been texting _a_ girl," Nino responded as he grabbed Kim's wrist. In a sudden and swift movement, Nino had Kim affixed to the floor, gently but firmly squishing his friend's cheek against the carpet. "And what's so wrong with that, anyway?"

"Dude, how did you _do_ that?" the other boy rasped. He tried squirming away but Nino had no mercy. He grunted, "This is a _boys_ night! No girls allowed!"

Nino raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Well, why didn't you just say so, dude?" He stood up as Kim took a few gasping breaths, the athlete weakly getting to his feet as well. "I would've put my phone away."

"Remind me to never get on your bad side," Kim muttered as he dusted his shirt off with his hands.

"Kim, we might want to be leaving soon," Max interrupted. "I'm still puzzled as to why you chose the Forest of Fontainebleau to go ghost hunting, as it is a fair distance from here to there, but it's already starting to get dark." He used his head to point to the window, the sky outside beginning to turn dark.

Kim nodded. "Right. Let's get a move on, then!"

* * *

* * *

 The girls jumped when they heard a rustle in the tree above them and, when they looked up, they were more than surprised to be greeted by a specific orange super heroine.

"Rena Rouge?" Alix said disbelievingly. "What are you doing here?"

Rena comfortably settled herself on a large branch as the rest of the girls gathered around the tree to greet the hero. "I could ask you the same thing, small fry," she winked, smirking at how Alix obviously did not like the nickname. "I decided to go wandering a bit during patrol. I recognize quite a few faces here so I know you're not around these parts. I was just wondering what all this stuff is for." She pointed at the surrounding props hanging from the trees, the glow-in-the-dark starting to become more prominent in the setting sun.

"We're giving the boys in our class the scare of their _lives_!" Alix said eagerly, nearly bouncing with giddiness.

"It's gonna be awesome," Juleka chided coolly.

"We made these masks that we're gonna use to jump scare them!" Rose squeaked delightedly. She held up the mask she created as an example, the surface of the mask far too big for any of their faces, adding to the hilarity and the spookiness. Her mask was covered in pink and yellow, unsurprisingly, but it still sent a chill down anyone's spine who looked at it.

Rena nodded, a smile on her face as she placed her fingers on her chin. "How 'bout I help?"

"You would do that?" Mylene happily asked.

"Of course! Boys are stupid. I'm sure you guys have good reason to be here."

Alix agreed, "Yeah, Kim's an idiot. He believes that ghosts are real."

"That name sounds familiar...isn't he that one boy that challenged a panther to a race?" Rena inquired as she laughed inwardly. Her dad had been _livid_ the day he was akumatized, coming home from his work with the biggest scowl she had ever seen.

"Like I said. Idiot."

Rena Rouge leaped down from the branch she was perched on with a grunt before she grabbed the illusion-making flute off her back. "I'd be happy to help. With my little friend here, we'll be able to scare those boys so bad that they'll be begging for mercy."

"Your flute's power is to create illusions, right?" Marinette asked. Her smile grew when Rena nodded. "That's _perfect_!"

* * *

* * *

The sun was barely above the horizon now, the soft pinks and oranges slowly beginning to fade into deep purples and blacks. The Forest of Fontainebleau was surprisingly quiet as the boys continued to venture deeper into the woods, the crunch of their shoes stepping on twigs and leaves and the occasional hoot of an owl being the only noises that disturbed the great grove.

"I can't believe I let you guys drag me into this..." Nathaniel murmured, only to be hushed quite harshly by the others.

The eerie atmosphere of the place sent unconditional chills down Nino's spine as he and the others hiked further and further into the deep wood, each boy accompanied only with a flashlight. Nino had expected the 'ghost hunt prepping' at Kim's house to be more than just grabbing a few flashlights and spending the rest of the time watching ghost movies. He couldn't help but agree with Nathaniel. This whole shindig was nothing more than straight-up _ridiculous_. Of course ghosts didn't exist. Everyone here except Kim knew that, but no one could escape said boy's stubbornness.

Adrien suddenly squeaked. Every boy turned around sharply and pointed their flashlights at the model, who was seemingly panting with relief once his expression could be read. "I-uh-I thought I saw something...but I guess not." At his assurances, everyone else shrugged and continued to trudge forward.

 "SHH!" At Kim's abrupt command, everyone stopped walking. They were silent for a moment before he continued, "Did you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Oh, jeez, where did this fog come from?" Nino waved his hand in front of himself in an attempt to blow the sudden fog away, but it only seemed to grow thicker as he did so. At each passing second, he could see his friends, who were only mere steps in front of and behind him, less and less. "Uhhh, you guys?"

And that's when chaos ensued.

The fog vanished as though it were nothing, and there were these absolutely _terrifying_ creatures in its place. Their expressionless faces were ginormous, and they leaped down from the trees and began wailing.

All Nino could hear was screaming. He didn't know if it was him who was screaming or the other boys around him, probably both, but loud cries of fear was all his brain could pay attention to as he tried finding something to grab onto in all the ruckus.

* * *

* * *

The girls pulled their masks off and grabbed their flashlights to look at their targets eagerly, and once they could see, they were anything but disappointed.

The boys were in absolutely hilarious positions: Ivan, who was surprisingly emotionless, was carrying a very petrified Max in his arms as Nathaniel clung onto the buff boy's neck for dear life. Kim was full-out on the _floor_ , his eyes as wide as saucers and his limbs stuck in positions that looked quite uncomfortable, and Adrien and Nino were clinging onto each other as though their lives depended on it.

The girls suddenly exploded into roaring fits of laughter, ranging from cute hics and giggles to full-on ugly guffawing. Alix clutched her chest and fell back to the floor as she wheezed, kicking her feet in the air. Alya had to hold herself onto Marinette in order to prevent herself from dropping to the floor, as well, and Mylene was leaning forward and snorting uncontrollably. Rose and Juleka weren't laughing as hard as the others but they still had their fair share of tears shed.

"You should've seen the looks on your _faces_!" Alix gasped as she slowly got up from the ground. "KIM! I didn't know you could scream like _that_!"

"HA!" Kim suddenly exploded, causing all the boys around him to jump again. He quickly got off the floor and pointed at the short girl, his grin cocky though he was still panting and shaking from the previous scare. "In your FACE, Alix Kubdel!"

Her expression went from smiling unconditionally to perplexed in less than a second. "Wha-?"

"Ghosts actually DO exist!" He folded his arms and looked at her smugly. "You juuust missed 'em."

Alix stomped up to him, a 4 foot ball of pure rage now. "You _idiot!_ " she hissed. "That was _us_! How could you not-I'm gonna- UGH- I'm gonna...kick you in the shin...-"

"Whoa whoa whoa, tinkerbell!" Kim grabbed the top of her head with one hand and used what was left of his strength to push her away slightly, though she still complained loudly and thrashed her hands towards the barely empty space in front of her. "What do you mean 'us'?"

"What she means," Alya interrupted confidently before Alix could start throwing curses, finally able to catch her breathe, "is this whole 'ghost ambush' thing was planned by none other than us." She gestured to the girls around her, all of whom were also starting to calm down.

"Still a shame that you guys missed Rena Rouge," Marinette chimed in. "She helped us."

"Rena Rouge was here?" Nino asked, surprised.

"Yup," Alya replied, walking up to the boy. She sighed dramatically as she wrapped her arm around his waist, his own hand coming to her waist, as well. "It's a real shame, for I missed her, too. That's what I get for going to the bathroom in the middle of a forest, I guess."

She didn't exactly know what her and Nino's status was currently. They weren't boyfriend/girlfriend, but they were definitely more than friends at the moment.

She tried to ignore the very confused but also smug look Marinette was giving her.

Nino chuckled. "What a shame indeed." He suddenly playfully pushed Alya away and she yelped, barely able to catch her feet. "You scared the living _snot_ out of me, though! How cold you?"

"You guys deserved it," Alix said smugly. Kim had stopped trying to prevent her from hitting him so she took the moment to give the boy a playful look before kicking his calf swiftly, giggling manically as he grabbed his leg and complained loudly.

"Kim," Max said, walking up to said boy who was now rubbing his bruised leg. "There's something I have to tell you."

"What?" he grunted.

"Ghosts don't exist."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a sudden turn of events but I'm not sorry in the slightest

Alya had no idea how she got into this mess.

She didn't exactly have much time to think about how this unfortunate predicament came to pass, however, because her neck rested on the surface where it was about to be _chopped off_.

She squirmed where she was uncomfortably placed as a dark and burly man came closer, a long, black clothed mask resting on his face and a dangerously sharp axe in his hand. The crowd in the arena cheered the moment he had appeared.

The teenager felt the already rapid pulse of her heartbeat quicken at each crunch the man's huge boots created on the rocks below. The cheering only got louder the nearer to Alya he got. Her mouth was dry and her nose started to sting as she felt tears of fear beginning to well up in her eyes.

Now how, exactly, did Alya get into such a nasty dilemma? The answer is simple, really: an akuma. An akuma who, for some reason, is set on changing France back to how it was in the early 1500s. Poor Alya never got a chance to transform, for a mob found her in her normal hair and outfit and immediately accused her of being a witch.

"I swear I'm not a witch!" she had exclaimed as the mob tied her up. That only raised their suspicions more, for apparently 'only a true witch would say that'. Now here she was, wreathing uncontrollably and nearly sobbing as her murderer finally got up to her shaking figure, shifting his axe back and forth between his two hands. Alya thought she heard him chuckle evilly, as well.

"C-can't we talk about this?" she pleaded, her voice hoarse and shrill as the man lifted his axe, ready to deal the final blow.

How did this happen? This was not at _all_ how she expected it to end.

* * *

* * *

"Huh. So the school apparently turned into an arena."

"Yup. I'm...not quite sure how to think of that."

The muffled screaming coming from inside the arena grew louder.

"I wonder what they're yelling about..." Chat Noir pondered out loud, placing a clawed hand on his chin thoughtfully. Carapace hummed and did the same.

"It's an arena," Ladybug answered nonchalantly. "Whoever they're cheering for is either fighting someone, fighting some _thing_ , or is about to be executed." Chat and Carapace turned toward her with wide eyes. As the heroes stood in silence, the cheering seemed to start forming into words.

"Are they...are they saying 'kill the witch'?" Carapace asked his companions, giving them a worried look.

Ladybug listened for a moment and nodded. "Sounds like it."

"Guess it is an execution, then," Chat added with a shudder.

"Dude, that can _not_ be good," Carapace said. He took the moment to look around and wonder why Rena hadn't shown up yet.

Ladybug snapped her fingers a few times to gather the attention of the other two heroes. "Carapace, go into the arena and save whoever is...y'know..." The green hero nodded and Ladybug continued, facing Chat, "Chat Noir, you're coming with me and we're finding the akuma."

"Of course, my lady," the other hero purred, leaping after her.

Once they were gone, Carapace didn't hesitate to climb the ancient building, hoping that no one would regard his appearance until he could save whoever was inside. Luckily for him, he was able to reach the top unnoticed. Unluckily for him, he was not at all prepared for what his eyes would witness once he could see clearly.

That was _Alya_! Alya was the supposed witch that was about to be executed!

Carapace snapped out of his surprised stupor when the axe-wielding man lifted his weapon mere feet above Alya's head. That's when the hero's shock turned into pure fury.

Carapace screamed deliriously and threw his shield with all of his might, his weapon knocking the axe out of the other man's hand with pinpoint accuracy. The crowd gasped and turned their heads towards the figure that had interrupted. Anger driven, Carapace took a giant leap from his spot atop the stairs and landed near his shield in the middle of the sandy stage, dust billowing around him. He grabbed his green weapon and walked through the dark cloud of sand, giving the executor a menacing glare. Oh, how he wished he could see the man's face behind his creepy looking mask, but the way his legs buckled and shook was enough for Carapace to feel like he had enough of an effect on him and everyone else around him.

* * *

* * *

Alya's terrified thoughts were interrupted with a loud and metallic bang, followed by the crowd gasping and roaring loudly. Shaken, she looked up and gasped herself when she noticed Carapace standing a few yards away, looking absolutely furious.

The hero bared his teeth and curled his fingers, a hint of a frightening smile appearing on his face when the man clad in dark clothes took a step back. Alya had never seen him so agitated before, and the rage in his golden eyes sent a chill down her spine.

"She," Carapace said with calm animosity, pointing directly at Alya, "is coming with me."

"B-back off, you..you creature!" Mr. Murderer cried before turning around and grabbing his axe. With a determined shriek, he ran at Carapace with startling speed and threw his weapon forward. Without missing a beat, the superhero lifted his shield and blocked the attack, a deafening _clang_ rushing through the area.

"You really shouldn't have done that," Carapace growled. His threatening voice wouldn't have been audible had the congregation not grown silent once the fighting began. As fast as a bullet, the boy in green bucked his knee forward and hit his attacker harshly in the stomach. The executor _oomphed_ and leaned forward, clutching his belly in pain and Carapace didn't hesitate to ram his shield atop the man's head powerfully. Alya's attempted killer fell to the floor after groaning once and didn't get back up.

The sharp silence the mob had created scared Alya, but Carapace didn't seem to care as he dashed forward and grabbed her out of her position. He picked her up bridal-style and jumped forward, using his padded feet to leap from pole to pole until he made it to the top of the arena. He didn't look back as he jumped again and found a place to set Alya down.

Paris was starting to look more and more like her history book and Alya did not like it one bit. The only way she could blend in with the crowd was if she herself was affected by the akuma but she knew she couldn't let that happen.

After a moment of searching, Carapace apparently decided that placing Alya in a dark alleyway that had not yet been affected by the akuma was a good idea. He set her down gently and rested on one knee as Alya caught her breathe.

"Are you alright?" The general concern in Carapace's voice and honey-colored eyes as he helped her get her hands out of the ropes they had been tied in almost made Alya forget that he had been a raging monster mere moments before.

"I have been nearly shoved into the river Seine while stuck inside an ancient coffin. I have almost been sacrificed to the _sky_ by a pharaoh akuma. _I got asked out by a boy I like_. And _that_ -" Alya pointed in the direction of the school's old location. "-was the most terrifying moment of my _life_."

Carapace's brow creased with worry. "So you're...not alright?" His eyes suddenly widened. "Wait, you got asked out by a boy you like?"

Alya couldn't help but smile as she sighed in an attempt to calm herself. "I'm fine." She looked back at his concerned face and curved her lips upward again. "Thank you so much for saving my life. That was really cool, actually."

For some reason, his cheeks darkened at her compliment and he looked away sheepishly, saying, "It wasn't that big of a deal. I'm glad I could help." His uneasy expression returned when he turned back to her. "That was really scary, though. If I had arrived literally a second later, it would've been too late."

Alya shuddered as memories of the axe only a few inches away from her head came back but she smirked back at him. Or at least she tried to. "You were scared? You looked like you were about to destroy every living soul in that arena and then Hawkmoth himself."

"Oh, I was mortified," Carapace reassured. They sat in a comfortable silence before he went on. "You...sure you'll be okay? Old Paris shows no mercy."

"I promise, Carapace. I've got this." She tilted her head upward and smirked at him, genuinely this time. "Go kick that akuma's butt."

He quirked a brow and smiled back before standing up cracking his knuckles, his eyes determined. "Yeah, okay. I'll do just that."

* * *

* * *

 Carapace nearly jumped out of his suit when Rena unexpectedly landed next to him. She gave him an amused smirk as he took a few moments to catch his breath. "Well, nice of you to finally show up," he implored.

The other hero pouted and folded her arms crossly. "I had a few problems of my _own_ to deal with, Shellhead, thank you very much."

Now it was Carapace who was smirking as he moved closer to playfully bump Rena's shoulder with his own. "You probably wouldn't be able to handle what was going on earlier, anyway."

Rena bumped him back, harder. She countered, "Are you doubting me, turtle boy?"

Carapace wasn't doubting her in the slightest. Rena was probably more hardcore than even he was, but he wouldn't tell her that. That would only feed her ego, and he was determined to win this little battle.

He positioned himself so he stood in front of the orange heroine, leaning down slightly so they stood nose to nose. Her playful look matched his own. "And what if I am?" he taunted.

Her feet shifted and her smirk grew wider. "You better be careful with what you say, Shelly." Her voice suddenly turned sensual as she lidded her eyes. "Foxes have a tendency to pounce."

Standing up tall, he closed his eyes contently and firmly hit the shield on his back a couple of times, chiding, "Turtles have plenty of protection against nosy foxes like you."

Rena placed a finger on his chest. "Not if it's from the front."

"Wh-oomph!"

Carapace shouldn't have been surprised that Rena Rouge lived up to her word as they tumbled to the ground in a fit of playful laughter and growls. They both fought for the top and he laughed triumphantly after he seized her shoulders and slammed them against the floor. "I win," he cooed.

"Well played, Carapace..." Rena said back, though she obviously had no intention of giving up right then judging by her exuberant smile. Carapace could only lift an eyebrow before he yelped as she knocked his legs over with her own, causing him to fall to his side. She then grabbed his shoulders and straddled him, huffing victoriously. "But you'll have to do better than that."

Someone nearby cleared their throat loudly to interrupt. Carapace and Rena's heads perked up and they smiled sheepishly at Ladybug and Chat Noir, who were standing a few feet away. Both were giving them amused smirks.

"You guys are really cute," Chat teased.

"HOWEVER," Ladybug interrupted, still smiling as she gave her companion a small glare, "it just so happens that you two missed the entire akuma battle."

"Wait, what?" the other two heroes said in unison as Rena scampered off Carapace.

"Yup." Chat placed his elbow on Ladybug's shoulder. "It's a real shame. It was an epic battle, probably greater than any ancient war ever fought in France's history."

"It wasn't _that_ great."

"But you looked wonderful, m'lady!"

Ladybug laughed and poked Chat in the side. "Stop it, you big sap."

"Now you guys are the ones being disgustingly adorable," Rena snickered as Carapace looked around and noted that Paris had, in fact, turned back to normal. He nervously bit his lip when he remembered Alya.

He knew that Alya would of course be fine; the akuma's magic no longer affected anything anymore. However, he still wanted to check on her, admittedly for more reasons than one.

"Good job, you two," Carapace said, wanting to make a formal and polite leave. "I really need to get going, but-"

"And just where do you need to go?" Rena interrupted. "You never used any power of yours, so you're not going to be detransforming any time soon."

He pouted. "I have a life, Rena."

"Of course, of course! You're right, my bad," she said back. She pulled her flute out and inspected it as though it were suddenly the most interesting thing in proximity. Her wicked grin returned, though her eyes did not wander from her weapon. "I guess that means I win, then."

Carapace's eyes widened but he recovered quickly and clenched his fists, his own jubilant expression returning. "You may have won the battle, Pufftail, but you haven't won the war."

"Oh, so you're gonna play like that, huh?" Rena put her flute back and stepped forward until she stood nose to nose with her partner. "Bring it on."

* * *

* * *

Alya gazed down at her phone as she continued her walk along the outskirts of the park. She was still a bit shaken by the day's earlier activities and had decided that some time outside with the warm, fresh air would do her some good. She hit play on one of her favorite songs and put her phone away before taking a seat on a nearby bench that rested in the shade of a large tree. It created the perfect temperature to relax in, for the sun wasn't blasting its heat but it was still warm. She took a deep breathe and looked around, feeling pleasant as she admired the surrounding nature.

The leaves above her rusted with just enough noise for it to not be normal. Alya looked at the tree's shaking shadow, confused as she pulled out one of her earbuds before looking up. As she did so, a large figure landed in front of her with a loud thump, causing her to squeak in surprise. She let out a breath of relief when she realized that it was just Carapace, though she was still puzzled as to why he was there.

"Aha, sorry if I startled you there," he apologized. "I was just stopping by to make sure everything's fine...and stuff..." He scratched the back of his neck and gestured to the empty space next to Alya. "Mind if I take a seat?"

Alya smiled and patted the bench to oblige and Carapace beamed as he comfortably settled himself next to her. _So_ this _is why Carapace was wanting to leave so early_ , Alya thought as she glanced at the hero through the side of her eye. She couldn't help but feel flattered.

"Sooo," he began. "You...you doing okay? After that last akuma attack, I could tell that you weren't...y'know...feeling the best, after almost dying, and all."

Alya blinked a few times in surprise. Since when was Carapace so sweet?

"Heh, yeah...I'm doing better," the girl replied with a breathy laugh. "I was actually just taking a walk to calm down a little bit."

"Oh! Well, that's great!"

They sat in a comfortable yet slightly awkward silence before the green hero continued, a playful tone to his voice.

"What was that you said earlier? About a boy you like asking you out?"

Alya barked out a fit of laughter and pushed him off the bench. "Gee, I had no idea that one of Paris' superheroes was so nosy!"

Now on his back, he laughed along. "What, I can't be interested in the life of one of Paris' civilians?"

"Not without it seeming creepy, you can't." And now Alya was being a hypocrite, realizing that she was guilty of the exact same thing. She worried slightly that Nino might possibly think the same thing of her but she put that thought to the back of her mind as Carapace got to his feet.

"I take it that you don't really need me watching over you." His bracelet beeped a few times and he looked at it, humming. "I guess I should get going now." He looked back up at her, his golden eyes shining behind his mask. "You be safe, oka-uh..." The hero interrupted himself when he noticed Alya was aiming her phone at him, grinning mischievously. He blinked a few times.

"I can't make any promises, turtle boy, but I'll do my best," Alya replied from behind her device, giving the superhero a thumbs up.

He tilted his head at her phone, a small smile gracing his lips. "Are you recording me?"

"Yeah."

Instead of demanding that she put her phone away as Alya had expected, Carapace lifted both his arms and flexed, giving the camera an award-winning grin. The journalist had to hold back another fit of laughter.

"Unless you insist on trying to be impressive and revealing your secret identity to me and to the Ladyblog in the process, I suggest you make a run for it," Alya giggled.

The hero's eyes widened and he glanced at his bracelet again, yelping when he must've realized how short of time he had left until his transformation would break out. With speed that was make any turtle jealous, Carapace dashed away with a short, "YEAH THANK YOU GOODBYE!"

Alya couldn't hold back her laughter anymore, tears of joy welling up in her eyes as she leaned back and clutched her belly. Carapace was actually pretty funny when he wasn't being annoying.

After taking a moment to calm down, she sat back against the bench and took another deep breathe, the fresh air cleansing her lungs. She looked down at her phone and watched the video she had just taken, trying to ignore the butterflies she felt fluttering in her stomach as she smiled at the green hero’s silliness.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a mess

“Dude, did you see that akuma yesterday?” Kim was excitedly telling Max as Nino entered the classroom, loud enough for everyone to hear. “It’s powers were so cool!”

Alix turned around and stuck her tongue out in disgust. “You think old, gross, and smelly stuff is cool?”

”History’s always been one of my favorite subjects, Alix,” Kim said. He leaned forward, a sparkle in his eye. “The akuma actually got me! I turned into a merchant!” 

"A merchant."

"Yeah! Being honest here, I really think you would've liked the stuff I sold. Swords, armor, potions-"

" _Potions_? Ancient french merchants never sold potions."

"Actually, they did," Max interrupted with his slightly obnoxious 'I know exactly what I'm talking about' voice that everyone had grown accustomed to. "Well, not exactly potions, per se, but they did sell elixirs."

Alix quirked a brow, urging him to continue.

"Merchants would go around attempting to sell drinks they made with the most ridiculous combinations and they would claim that these 'elixirs' could do many things: heal vicious wounds, grant superpowers, so forth. Of course they never could, but merchants did get quite a load of money from selling those items."

"Ooooh, so Kim went around and lied to people even when he was affected by an akuma?" Alix snorted and faced forward again with a content smile. "Makes sense." The rest of the classroom giggled.

"Hey! I'll have you know that the merchant work isn't easy, Kubdel!" Kim objected with a frown. "Once people find out that you lied to them, you're in a whole lot of trouble. I had to run away multiple times and I have a feeling that if I ever got caught, I would get burned at the stake."

"You think you had it bad, Kim?" Alya surprisingly interjected, giving said boy a pointed look and a challenging frown as he turned toward her with large eyes. "The akuma never got me, but I almost wish it had."

Kim glanced around for a few moments before slowly asking, "Why...?"

"I was accused of being a witch and nearly got my head cut off."

The entire class choked and Rose, who had been sipping some juice, sputtered it everywhere.

"You WHAT," Marinette shouted, standing up tall. "That was yo-uhhh I MEAN-" She blushed at the attention she had gathered and sat back down. "H...How did you get out of that?"

Alya hid her sheepish smile behind her hand. Marinette didn't seem to notice, but Nino did. Suddenly, Alya coughed and shook her head in a supposed attempt to steady herself. "Y-you guys know Carapace, right? Yeah, he saved me."

"Ooooh!" Rose cooed, her smile bright enough to blind anyone within close proximity. "That's so cute!"

"No, it's not!" both Alya and Nino objected, giving each other confused looks once the words slipped out of their mouths. They looked away from each other and sat back down, their faces tinted red.

Nino jumped slightly when Adrien poked his side. “Nino...are you jealous?” his best friend inquired smugly. The DJ wanted nothing more at that moment than to slap the blonde’s obnoxious smile right off his face. 

“What?! No!” Nino grabbed his textbooks and slid them closer to his side as he scooted away from his complacent bestie. 

“Oh, you so are.”

”Stop it!”

”Make me.”

Furious, Nino stood up with his shoulders hunched angrily and his hands balled in tight fists. He could practically feel the smoke seeping from his red ears, his cheeks warm enough to feel as though they could melt an entire ice cube the moment it made contact with his skin. Teeth bared slightly, he replied, “Fine.”

Adrien’s eyes widened as his friend stood up, clearly surprised by his actions. His shock turned into uneasiness at Nino’s harsh tone. 

Once the one small yet powerful word fell from Nino’s lips, he turned around, grabbed Alya’s face and, before he could comprehend what he was doing, smashed his mouth against her own.

The entire classroom erupted into various degrees of yelling but Nino didn't care. Neither did Alya, apparently, for when he opened one of his eyes slightly to see her reaction, her own eyes were closed contently. That, and she tilted her head while humming slightly, causing Nino to open his eyes wider in surprise.

Her lips were too intoxicating...the boy soon tilted his head as well, despite the commotion his classmates were still making. His lips curved upward in a smile and he felt Alya's do the same, the loud noises of the classroom soon fading into a barely audible fuzz. Kissing this girl really was better than anything he ever imagined (and he hated to admit how much he actually _had_ imagined it) and his lips began to tingle pleasantly as a small giggle first fell from his mouth, then Alya's. As amazing as the moment was, Nino unfortunately remembered where exactly he was...and that's when he pulled back, albeit reluctantly, his hands resting on her perfectly smooth and red cheeks.

Alya was wearing a small smile, her eyes lidded and glazed, obviously still under the spell of the kiss. Nino looked around at everyone's faces; not a single person didn't have their mouths gaping open. He gasped a little and turned back to Alya, frantically apologizing for kissing her publicly and without warning.

Alya let out a goofy giggle and leaned forward slightly, reaching her hand out to lovingly flick his nose. "You can do that to me any time you want, mister DJ," she whispered.

Nino wasn't sure if she noticed his ever-growing red face as he turned around and quickly sat back down, and if she did she didn't say anything. He squeaked when he noticed Mm. Bustier leaning on her desk, giving the boy an amused yet slightly exasperated smile. He clearly couldn't form any words at the moment but she took his incoherent stutters as an apology and nodded, beginning her lesson for the day.

Math. Ugh. Nino was now humiliated AND bored.

* * *

* * *

"WHERE IS NINO LAHIFFE?!"

Certain to say, Rena was beyond surprised to hear the name of the boy that had been occupying her mind since that morning come out of the mouth of Paris' akuma of the day.

Not only that, but the akuma looked FURIOUS as he used whatever powers Hawkmoth had given him to search all over the place. Ladybug, Chat Noir and Carapace had not appeared yet, leaving Rena to currently deal with this akuma all on her own. She didn't know what he was capable of just yet but the way he angrily searched for his target sent an unnerving chill down her spine.

Part of her told her to take the akuma right then and there. She believed in her own powers and was convinced that she could hold him off, at least until the other heroes decided to show. The other part of her, however, told her to get to the akuma's target before he could.

While she was contemplating her decision, Rena noticed the akuma heading in the direction of Nino's house as though he knew exactly where the DJ lived.

"NINO LAHIFFE!" the akuma deliriously screamed again.

Panicked, the girl ran as fast as she could toward Nino's house, leaping from building to building in a matter of seconds, reaching her destination in record time.

She could _not_ let this akuma get to him. She _would_ not let this akuma get to him.

The orange heroine didn't even bother knocking on the boy's window, instead pulling it open herself and quickly climbing in. This was much too urgent.

"NINO!" she shouted urgently. No one responded.

She wandered around the room frantically, looking in every nook and cranny even though she knew Nino was much too big for most of the spaces she checked. That still didn't stop her, though. Rena stuffed herself underneath his bed before she heard the door behind her open, followed by muffled speaking.

"Yeah, ma, I got it-WHAT THE-!" The sudden intensity of the voice startled Rena, causing her to jump in shock and bump her head harshly against his bed frame. "RENA ROUGE?!" Nino cried in shock as she climbed out from underneath his bed, softly rubbing her now bruised head. "What are you doing here?"

She looked up and her breath nearly nearly got caught in her throat.

Nino was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.

"Wh-HAH-I WAS JUST-uh-!" she stammered, quickly getting to her feet. She tried not to look at his bare abs. Very _defined_ bare abs. Abs that were still glistening from his recent shower.

Rena shook her head. Now was not the time to let her mind wander. "I came here to get you to safety!" She took note of how red his face was. She couldn't blame him, though, for she knew she was be the same if a superhero walked in on her nearly naked.

"Wha-" A violent explosion nearby interrupted whatever he was about to say next.

" _What was that?_ " another voice quipped, sounding somewhat electronic. It was then that Rena realized Nino's phone was on the floor. That must've been who he was talking to moments earlier.

The boy carefully grabbed the phone from off the ground, very much aware that any wrong move and his towel would no longer be wrapped around his body. "Nothing, mama!" he said into his device. "I was just, uh, blasting some tunes! Yeah, that's it!" He nodded a few times and said a few more reassurances to his mother before hanging up.

Rena Rouge and Nino stared at each other for a few awkward seconds, trying to hide their shared blushes.

Nino coughed. "So, uh, what are you doing in my room again?"

She blinked out of her stupor. "Oh, right. I-"

"NINO!" an ear-splitting voice outside roared, dangerously close. The person it was calling for visibly froze.

"Ahhhh, I've got to get you to a safe place!" Rena squeaked, leaping forward to scoop Nino up in her arms.

Oh boy, it was immensely difficult not to blush. He never showed it in his usual wear but this boy was _ripped_.

"Isn't home the safest place, though?" he asked, a nervous yet goofy grin on his face as he looked up at her. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Not this time, it's not," she replied, heading for his window. "For reasons beyond me, this akuma is looking for you specifically and I have a feeling it knows exactly where you live." She took a step outside and got ready to jump.

"Wh-WAIT!" he cried, instinctively grabbing her neck with his still slightly damp arms. "Sh-shouldn't I p-put on some, uh, underwear or something?!" the current color of his face could rival a cherry, and Rena's face was honestly no better.

Nino's name was called again, this time much closer than before. The akuma was probably no more than a block away.

"Y-you don't have time!" the superhero squeaked. She tried to hide her flushed face the best she could, though her high-pitched voice most likely did not help in the slightest. Nino didn't seem to notice, however, a bit too occupied with his own problems.

"PLEASE," he wailed desperately. Rena was starting to think that some of the moisture on his body wasn't from his shower. "I don't even need to put it on right now-I could grab a pair real quick a-and we'd be out of here in no time!" He starting shaking uncontrollably, no doubt terrified on behalf of basically his entire life.

She couldn't take his mortified face any longer. "Alright, fine!" The hero turned and set him down. The moment his feet touched the floor, Nino grabbed his towel with one hand for support and dashed for his dresser while Rena paced anxiously. The DJ grabbed a pair of undergarments and also some pants before racing back, nearly jumping into her arms, shouting, "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

Rena didn't need to be told twice. She made sure Nino was securely in place before she leaped out his window and onto a neighboring building. She wasted no time and continued her endeavors.

It was still very hard not to blush.

"So, where are you taking me?" Nino shouted over the wind.

"Uh...away from the akuma?"

"You don't know where you're going?!"

"I haven't thought this whole thing through, alright?"

"NINO! There you are!"

Oh no.

Rena skidded to a halt. The akuma was right in front of them, glaring at the two teenagers with intense eyes similar to that of a cat that had just caught its mouse.

His outfit was atrocious, but that was nothing new. His skin-tight suit was bright with colors that should not have been paired together. A pair of neon green and orange sunglasses rested on his pudgy face, giving him a look that would make him seem cool (maybe even threatening) if his design wasn't so ridiculous.

A few floating disks hovered around his head, each coated with a different color.

"Wait a minute... _Derrick_?" Nino squawked incredulously.

"Derrick?" the akuma snarled. "Who's that? _I'm_ Mood Swinger, able to change the way people feel in a matter of seconds!"

Rena turned and booked it, having heard enough. She didn't need to listen to this akuma's ludicrous rant. She just needed to get Nino to safety and the sooner she left, the better.

"Wh-HEY!" Mood Swinger angrily called after them. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"Away from here!" Rena shouted back before taking a huge leap. Nino squeaked and held on tighter, his pants flapping in the wind.

"Sooo, what exactly did you do to this guy to make him hate you so much?" she asked the boy in her arms.

"I...I beat him in a music competition..." he mumbled back, voice barely audible over the rushing wind. "I don't know why he's after _me_! _I_ didn't give myself the ribbon!"

An evil laugh intervened with whatever Rena was about to say next. Mood Swinger appeared in front of them again, a wicked and smug grin on his face despite the pure animosity his eyes wore. "Anger," he said, voice much deeper and more menacing than it had been moments ago. The akuma grabbed a significantly red disk near his ear and threw it with all his might at his targets.

Rena didn't know who he was aiming at specifically, nor did she care. She knew all she needed to about his powers simply by his words previous: '...able to change the way people feel in a matter of seconds!' She jumped again, and the red disk zoomed past her feet with barely any space to spare.

"I don't want to be here..." Nino mumbled into her shoulder once they landed and took off, most likely more to himself than anyone else. His voice was so soft that Rena was surprised she could hear him. She looked down at the boy she cradled, worry swirling through her other emotions.

Nino wasn't usually like this. He looked so miserable. Rena wanted to stop and reassure him that everything was going to be alright, maybe even give him a hug, but she couldn't risk it.

"I promise I'll get you out of here," she managed to murmur back confidently. He stopped shivering, indicating that he had heard her. "Ladybug and Chat Noir will be here soon."

As cliche as it was, the superhero duo mentioned landed in between the two teenagers and Mood Swinger, who was still chasing them, as though she had summoned them. Ladybug twirled her yo-yo and glanced back at Rena. "Get him out of here," the spotted heroine told her orange companion, nodding at the boy in her arms. Relief washing over her like a fountain, Rena nodded and ran away once again.

"COME BACK HERE WITH WHAT I WANT!" Mood Swinger shouted after her, followed by a few grunts. Rena figured Ladybug and Chat Noir were doing their jobs and she didn't dare look back.

With that, Rena got as far away from the akuma as she could. She laded in the park and set Nino down carefully, aware of the towel still loosely wrapped around his waist.

"Are you gonna be okay here?" she asked him.

He looked around and gave her a pointed look. His face may not have been the most encouraging thing, but it was the first time he had been anything but scared in a while and she took relief to that. "You put me in the middle of the park. A public park."

Rena huffed and folded her arms crossly. "You could thank me, y'know."

"I do thank you. But people are already looking at the boy wearing nothing but a towel."

Rena felt her nose twitch in irritation. Nino was beginning to remind her of Carapace.

Speaking of which, why hadn't he appeared yet? It wasn't like her companion to be late.

A sudden pair of arms wrapped around her neck, shocking the fox heroine out of her thoughts.  "Thank you," he said again, this time more genuine.

He smelled so nice. His arms were so _buff_. This was almost too much to bear.

Instead of melting on the spot as Rena had imagined herself doing, she found the strength and guts to wrap her own arms around him to reciprocate.

He pulled away first and gave her a tender smile, the kind that made her legs feel like jello. "Sorry if I was sounding rude before. That wasn't my intention. But...could you, ah, could you...take me somewhere more..." he gestured with his hand a few times as he tried to gather his thoughts. "...secluded? No people?"

Rena's ears perked. "Oh! Yeah, of course!" She laughed a little as she tried to grab the boy again. "I should've just done that earlier..."

Something harshly pushed Rena to the side before she could jump away, however, and she fell to the floor with a loud _oof_. Looking up, she saw Ladybug looming over her. Something was off with the heroine's blue eyes...and maybe it was the fact that they weren't blue at all. They were red.

"Ladybug?" Rena coughed a few times as she lifted herself off the ground. "Are you okay?"

Ladybug only growled as a response, leaning down to grab Rena by the scruff and tail before swinging in a few circles and tossing her target straight into the park's fountain.

The orange heroine gasped and sputtered as she clung onto the edge of the marble, shaking her head a few times to get her soaking wet hair out of her face.

Okay, then. Ladybug definitely was _not_ okay.

"RENA ROUGE!" The hero in question looked in the direction of the distressed call and saw Ladybug now standing over Nino, who was crawling backward and holding one of his arms in front of himself defensively. Rena expected the DJ to look frightened but as she got out of the fountain and got a better look at his face, he seemed more...determined. Rena growled and ran forward, launching herself at her spotted companion and bringing her to the floor. Ladybug snarled and fought back fiercely, tucking her legs in and kicking Rena sharply in the stomach. Rena fell back but before she could retaliate, another figure knocked Ladybug to the floor.

It was Nino, much to Rena's surprise. She saw something white out of the corner of her eye and nearly felt sick when she almost immediately recognized Nino's towel, now laying on the floor with no waist to wrap around. It took everything in her to look back at him as he tussled with Ladybug on the ground below but she sighed in relief when she saw that he was wearing the pants he brought along. Smart boy somehow found the time to put them on and help.

Something else pushed Rena to the floor before she could help Nino with Ladybug, much to her annoyance and dismay. She got to her feet quickly and grabbed her attacker, who this time was Chat Noir. His eyes were redder than Ladybug's suit and it was honestly terrifying. He gnashed his teeth and stepped forward, pushing Rena back but she held her ground. She growled back and pushed forward with all her might, huffing gratefully when Chat took a few steps back.

Both Chat Noir AND Ladybug had been affected by the akuma and Carapace hadn't even appeared yet. This was going to be a hard battle.

Rena had a few tricks up her sleeve, however. Or maybe Trixx would be the better word.

As fast as a fox, Rena ducked her head forward and threw Chat over her head, satisfaction flowing through her as she heard him yelp in surprise. He got back up sooner than what she would've liked but she was ready nonetheless, her feet maneuvering carefully and efficiently so her enemy couldn't get to her, try as he might. If only there was a way to tie him up...

Rena looked around while still keeping guard and her eyes caught just what she was looking for.

Ladybug's yo-yo.

Bingo!

Chat Noir grunted curiously when Rena dashed for her new target, who was still surprisingly battling with Nino, though they were both standing up now. Nino's golden eyes were shining with bravery, but his competitor was still pushing forward. Rena quickly placed herself behind Ladybug and slid her arms under the heroine's, pulling them up into a Full Nelson. "Nino! Grab her yo-yo!" she commanded as Ladybug growled in surprise. Nino looked stunned for a moment but swiftly obeyed without question, barely avoiding Ladybug's swift kicks.

"YOU GIVE THAT BACK, YOU SCUM-LICKING SORRY EXCUSE FOR A DJ HALF-FACED GOATISH HUGGERMUGGER!"

Nino choked and Rena couldn't help but giggle a little, feeling her face go red not only with the snickers she was trying to hold but also with the amount of effort it took to keep the angry red superhero at bay. Ladybug continued kicking her legs furiously but Rena didn't give in until Nino tossed the yo-yo in her direction. She pushed Ladybug aside and opened her hands, but before she could catch it, Chat Noir shoved her away harshly once again. To retaliate, Nino threw himself at Chat and the yo-yo fell to the floor. Ladybug got up and ran for her weapon but Rena reached forward and grabbed her leg as she ran by, causing the other hero to yelp and fall back to the floor. The fox-themed hero pulled the other's leg back and used that momentum to plunge herself forward, finally grabbing her desired object and wooping victoriously. Something slid under her legs and she fell back down, fingers unconsciously letting go of the yo-yo so she could catch herself. When she looked back up, Chat had a hold of the yo-yo and was giving her the most annoying smile, his red eyes shining with triumph.

The battle continued for a while, each hero (and Nino, though he was as of now most definitely a hero in Rena's eyes) mercilessly fighting over the yo-yo. Rena had actually forgotten what she originally wanted it for, but the competitive side of her grew more and more heated by each second and she couldn't for the life of her let her opponents get a hold of the weapon.

"Like what I've done with them?"

The new voice shocking both Rena and Nino, they turned their heads to see Mood Swinger a few steps away, looking so arrogant that Rena wanted nothing more than to claw that ridiculous smile off his face.

"I thought you controlled emotions, not minds," Rena growled.

"Hmmm, a little bit of both," he responded nonchalantly. "They obey me, yes, but their actions are based off their emotions."

Rena glanced at the mind-controlled heroes, who were watching Mood Swinger intently as though they were waiting for him to make some sort of command. Their robotic behavior was frightening and they even seemed to blink in sync.

"It'll just be easier for you to give me your miraculous right now."

She turned back to the akuma, lip curled dangerously. "Never."

Mood Swinger looked around while humming curiously, saying, "Aren't you supposed to have a partner of your own?"

The hero's eyes widened slightly. She had been so busy fighting that she had forgotten Carapace had yet to appear, which was a bit peculiar. He may be a turtle but he was never this late.

Beside her, Nino noticeably stiffened.

"Listen, bub, Carapace isn't here," Rena snarled, inching closer to the akuma.

"I can see that."

"You only have me to deal with."

"I can see that,too."

"You suck."

"I-" Mood Swinger's eyes widened before he pouted profusely.

"I'm here, too," Nino said to Rena, eyes lidded in annoyance.

"Me AND Nino," she corrected herself.

The villain's eyes darkened as an evil grin crossed his face. He chucked manically before asking, "Are you sure about that?" He grabbed a purple disk floating by his ear and chucked it at Nino. Rena was quick to respond, however, jumping straight at the boy and knocking him to the floor before the akuma's power could hit him. She used her arms to flip herself forward and she ran up to Mood Swinger, giving him a small taunt before going down on her knees and kicking him to the ground. Rena grabbed her flute and pointed it at his neck threateningly.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," she replied smugly.

Mood Swinger growled and grabbed her flute, yanking her forward. She yelped but directed herself so she would land on top of him, rendering the akuma helpless. She grabbed his arms before he could do anything and pinned them to the grass below effortlessly. "Where's that akuma hidden?"

"Like I'd tell you," he spat back. "Ladybug, Chat Noir! Get her off of me!"

The two heroes responded immediately but something suddenly wrapped around them, tying them together. They grunted in surprise as Nino laughed, tugging the string to bring them off balance.

"Guess who had the yo-yo last, SUCKERS?" he chided heroically as Ladybug and Chat started growling angrily. He ran around them a few times and tugged once more to make sure they were securely tight, then huffed triumphantly and dropped the yo-yo. He swished his hands together as he continued, "Good luck getting out of that."

"What?!" Mood Swinger said disbelievingly.

"YOU BETTER LET US OUT OF HER _RIGHT NOW_ OTHERWISE YOU'RE GOING TO REGRET EVERYTHING!" Chat screeched.

"Nah, I'm good," Nino replied. He tipped his hat politely and walked back over to Rena, who was trying her hardest to hold in her laughter.

"Get off of me!" the akuma commanded furiously.

"No," she grinned.

"You'll regret those words that just came out of your mouth, foxhead!" He started squirming and attempted to kick Rena off but she held on gracefully.

"Oooh, what's this?" She grabbed a disk that was stuffed in his shirt pocket, slightly larger and brighter than the others. She admired it for a moment as though it was a gold coin, her eyes shining with interest. "Looks interesting."

"Don't you touch that!" Yup, it was definitely important.

The superhero tossed the disk at Nino, who caught it easily. She didn't even need to tell him anything, for immediately he threw the object on the ground and stepped on it. The significantly purple butterfly flew out and Rena started to panic. "Don't let it get away!" she called, stepping off Mood Swinger and sprinting at the akuma. She snatched it with her hands and looked at Ladybug and Chat, who were still as mad as ever as they struggled to get out of their temporary prison, throwing angry curses every once in a while.

The akuma fluttered furiously in Rena's gloved hands as she walked back up to Nino nervously. His wore the same expression she felt at the moment. "Ladybug never used a lucky charm!" she said. "How are we supposed to turn everything back to normal?"

Nino glanced at the possessed superheroes, scratching the back of his neck. "I...I don't know..."

A groan sounded near them. It was Mood Swinger, still akumatized as he sat up and scratched his head. Though he wasn't back to normal yet, he was powerless without his akuma-affected item.

"You there!" Rena pointed her flute at him and he looked up at her, disgust and confusion written all over his face. "Make Ladybug use her Lucky Charm."

He stuck his tongue out. "I would rather die."

She put the end of her flute on her chin thoughtfully. "Would you rather get rewarded by helping us or punished if you don't?"

His sunglasses fell to the edge of his nose, revealing eyes the color of a strawberry. He opened and closed his mouth a few times in bewilderment as he contemplated his answer, blinking excessively as he did so. He finally crossed his arms and turned slightly, stubbornly replying, "Why should I obey you? You didn't do a single thing I told you to do."

"I'm a superhero and you're a supervillain. I have my reasons," Rena haughtily replied, crossing her arms. "Besides...don't tell me you want to be stuck looking like _that_ , without any powers to control anyway."

Mood Swinger's composure was less tense and his eyes were wary as he stole a quick glance at himself. "Rude."

"I'm right and you know it." Beside Rena, Nino's face was red as he tried to hold in the laughs that desperately wanted to escape his mouth.

The akuma got off his feet and grumbled to himself as he walked to Ladybug and Chat Noir, who were eyeing him intently. "How do you get this string off them?"

Rena raised her eyebrow at Nino, who giggled nervously and hurriedly yet cautiously jogged up to the two tied up heroes. He got to his knees and started working on untying the string as they watched him closely, their red eyes soulless.

"Okay, okay I got this," he said mostly to himself, though Rena took that as a small call for help. She raced to where he was playing with the string and tried to find the end of the yo-yo, murmuring about how dumb yet convenient it was that Ladybug's weapon couldn't break. Mood Swinger tapped his foot impatiently.

"Got it!" Nino cried suddenly, unwrapping the string around the duo once before giving it a small pull. Once that was done, the string loosened and Ladybug and Chat were able to step out, their faces still emotionless.

Mood Swinger sighed dramatically. "Alright, Ladybug, use your 'Lucky Charm' or whatever."

She did as she was told, shouting her signature line so expertly that for a moment it didn't seem as though she wasn't exactly herself. Everyone watched as the charm formed, and what fell back into Ladybug's arms was another disk. The sight of them was starting to make Rena uncomfortable.

Nino grabbed the spotted disk from Ladybug and looked at it. He read, "'Relaxing music'. Yeah, that's definitely what you two need right now."

Chat growled as Ladybug said, "I beg your pardon?!"

"Give me that," Rena said as she grabbed the charm from Nino's hand, handing him the akuma in turn, unable to hide the smile on her face. Without hesitation, the hero tossed it into the air and hollered, "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"

She didn't expect it to be as satisfying as it was to watch everything turn back to normal, but MAN if the sight of Ladybug and Chat Noir blinking with their correct colored eyes didn't make her incredibly happy. Mood Swinger faded away in a smooth cloud of purple, a good-looking burly boy in his place. To say he looked baffled was an understatement.

Nino walked up to the boy and placed one of his hands on his shoulder, smiling sweetly. "Hey there, Derrick! You doing alright, man?"

Derrick looked up at the DJ and stiffened, his eyes growing wide. "N-Nino? What are you dong here?" He stopped and looked around. "Wait...what am _I_ doing here?"

"You got akumatized," Nino explained, holding the fluttering butterfly up for the other boy to see.

"Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

Nino glanced at himself, stammering, "I-I uhhh...it's a long story!" He looked back up and tossed that thought to the side, saying, "By the way, have I ever told you that I love your music?"

The other boy tilted his head. "You do?"

"Yeah! That thing you do with the guitar? And how you add it into your mixes? Man, I wish I could do that!"

Derrick smiled, all looks of resentment in his eyes instantly fading.

Rena crossed her arms and huffed gladly as Ladybug and Chat walked up to her, both of them rubbing their heads.

"Ugh...What happened?" Ladybug groaned.

"You got _maaaaaad_ ," Rena answered.

Chat looked around, his tail twitching thoughtfully. "Where's Carapace?"

Rena's smile vanished. "He never showed."

"What?" Ladybug said. "That's not like him!"

"I'm right here!" another voice chimed in. The other heroes turned to see Carapace sprinting up to them. He grabbed his legs and panted once he stopped running, apologies spilling out of his mouth like water out of a broken dam. "I got affected by the akuma before I could transform!" he excused himself.

"Jeez, Shelly, at this rate, you might as well consider yourself an actual turtle," Rena teased, though there was bitterness in her voice. "Both Ladybug and Chat got affected by the akuma, too."

"Uh-really?" he said. "You beat the akuma all by yourself, then?"

"No, Nino help-where'd he go?" When she turned to point at him, she noticed that both him and Derrick were gone. "What? He was here just a second ago!"

"Nino?" Now Carapace was smiling. "A civilian?"

"One of the kindest, sweetest, dorkiest civilians ever, mind you!" she retorted, wondering why his smile only grew at her words. "Not to mention it's kinda bad that he left...he has the akuma we need to purify!"

"I-uh-oh, that kid was Nino?" Carapace said. "Yeah, um. I ran into him when I was on the way here and he was like 'Oh you're a superhero, right?' and he gave me the akuma. Soo." He reached down and seemingly pulled the purple butterfly out of no where and Rena blinked, confused and surprised. "Ladybug, mind doing the honers?"

Ladybug gave him a determined smile. "Gladly."

Once the akuma had been purified, Ladybug and Chat waved at their hero comrades and hopped off to detransform. Rena, however, was lost in her own thoughts as she stared at the spot Nino stood before he disappeared. Carapace poked her side and she yelped, holding her arms up defensively.

"Still yearning for that civilian boy?" he teased.

She sighed and dropped her hands. "It's just...to leave without saying anything? It's so unlike him!"

Some of the spark in Carapace's eyes faded for a moment but it was back as fast as it had disappeared. "You have a crush on him, don't you, Pufftail?"

She stood rigid and her eyes widened, her face growing as red as Ladybug's suit. She stammered, "Wh-wha? NO! What made you-why would you-"

"Weelll, you did say 'one of the kindest, sweetest, dorkiest civilians ever', did you not?"

"He is! That doesn't mean I like him!" She punched him in the shoulder and he laughed, rubbing the now sore spot. "Can't a superhero be interested in the life of a civilian?"

"Not without it seeming weird, you can't!" His response came naturally but the words were way too familiar, so much so that Rena quickly shut her mouth. For some reason, he did the same.

They stood in an awkward silence, studying each other's embarrassed figures. Neither of them knew what to say. Carapace was wringing his hands together nervously and Rena Rouge coughed a few times, keeping her head low.  She heard his boots stepping on the grass and she figured he had simply decided to leave. When she looked up, however, he was barely a few inches away, his eyes lidded and his lips slightly parted.

"Hey...I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable," he apologized softly.

Her eyes widened and she felt herself stiffen again. Carapace was _apologizing_? What had gotten into him lately?!

They were both quiet for a moment but Rena felt her breathing quicken at how close he was. He opened and closed his mouth a few times as though he was unsure of what he was going to say next but in the end he apparently decided to not say anything at all, instead leaning forward to press a quick kiss to her forehead. With that he turned and left, leaving Rena to stand there with her eyes wider than a dinner plate. Her lips were parted slightly and her mouth became dry, a fresh wave of heat overtaking her body. It took her a minute to calm down but she felt a smile creep onto her face as she lifted her arm and gently touched her forehead.

To the side, a random civilian quietly gasped at their interactions, her phone out to record the whole thing.


End file.
